One growing trend across the state of California, and, indeed, many places around the world is a move to require NEW buildings to be All-Electric. HERE. The idea is that, if we are, as a state, going to achieve our needed greenhouse gas reductions, we must stop making the problem worse by installing more and more new gas-burning buildings.
More than 40 jurisdictions across the state, including Marin County, have adopted some form of electrification requirement. Most recently, San Francisco and Oakland passed all-electric requirements.
The fact is, as Mayor Ackerman stated in the IJ, it saves money to build an all-electric new home. And, because the home will be built with much improved insulation relative to older homes in Marin, it will be less expensive to operate than a similar, multi-fuel new building. (HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE).
There is the issue of PSPS events, and we are going to need to think about ways to provide energy storage capacity for these events, but new ideas are coming.
It is time for Fairfax to take this important step. Thank you Fairfax Town Council!